A new stage adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s bestselling novel The Haunting of Hill House is set to make its world premiere with a UK tour this autumn, including dates at the Manchester Palace Theatre from Tuesday 27 Oct – Saturday 31 October, rounding out spooky season in style.
Following the critically acclaimed Netflix hit series that introduced a new generation to Jackson’s eerie masterpiece, this brand-new adaptation – written by Olivier and BAFTA award-winner Stef Smith – will conjure the iconic supernatural thriller on stage.
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What is The Haunting of Hill House about?
“A ghost can be a lot of things. A memory, a daydream, a secret, grief, anger, guilt.”
When a group of daring investigators take on the mystery of Hill House, curiosity quickly descends into fear. Experiments plunge into darkness. Strange disturbances ripple through twisting corridors. As the house tightens its grip, it will leave you on the edge of your seat… and questioning what is real long after the curtain falls.
From best-selling novel to major hit Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House now takes to the stage in this gripping new production that blurs the line between heart-thumping suspense and the supernatural.
Laurence J. Hyman, son of Shirley Jackson, today said: “From film and television to the stage, my mother Shirley Jackson’s legacy continues to endure through her iconic novel The Haunting of Hill House. I’m thrilled that this haunting classic will return in a new form, and that Stef Smith’s adaptation will capture the novel’s remarkable and unsettling spirit for audiences in a whole new way.”
Stef Smith added: “The Haunting of Hill House is one of the greatest supernatural novels of the last one hundred years and to have the chance to adapt it for the stage is a true privilege. I find Shirley Jackson’s world intoxicating, thrilling and gut-wrenching. I believe there is something so deeply theatrical at the heart of Hill House.
“From the spooky, to the surreal, through heartache and hope. I hope that our cast of characters will take the audience along for a ride quite unlike anything else. Above all we will examine that the biggest horrors are usually human.”
Shirley Jackson (1916–1965) was an American writer celebrated for her works of horror and mystery. Over a career spanning more than two decades, she authored six novels, two memoirs, and more than 200 short stories. Her novels include The Road Through the Wall, Hangsaman, The Bird’s Nest, The Sundial, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
The Haunting of Hill House 2026 tour dates
- 11 September – 3 October — Salisbury Playhouse
- 6–10 October — Richmond Theatre
- 13-17 October — Theatr Clwyd
- 20-24 October — Theatre Royal Brighton
- 27-31 October — Palace Theatre Manchester
- 3-7 November — Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse
- 10-14 November — Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
How to get tickets for The Haunting of Hill House in Manchester
Tickets go on general sale on Friday 20 February at 10am, here.